Peanut Brittle

Introduction: Peanut Brittle

As a child, I had the pleasure to enjoy my grandfather's wonderful cooking and candy making. He could make a particularly awesome bit of caramel popcorn, and my favorite - peanut brittle. Sadly, time wore on, and I moved away from home and never got the chance to get his recipes!

Thankfully, my salvation came recently when I came across some old papers. You guessed it! There, scribbled on a small piece of paper was an ingredients list and a temperature. Piecing that together with a cookbook recipe, I have come up with a peanut brittle that everyone enjoys...especially me!

This is my first instructable, and I've entered it into the Candy Contest, so please be sure to vote for me if you like this instructable. Thanks for looking!

Step 1: Ingredients and Materials

Materials:

Medium or large cookie sheet
High Temperature mixing spoon or spatula
Large Saucepan
Candy Thermometer (Not ABSOLUTELY necessary, but makes candy making a LOT easier for novices like me!)

First thing you'll want to do is grease your cookie sheet, and stick in the oven at 200F to stay warm.

Add all the ingredients except the nuts, butter, and baking soda to a large saucepan, with heat set to medium. Stir until everything is dissolved, then add the nuts. Now, clip your candy thermometer to the side of the pan.

As this mix begins to boil, melt your butter, and mix thoroughly with the baking soda; set aside.

Step 2: Bring to a 300F Boil

The mixture has to boil for a while, and it is imperative that you stir it frequently. Normally this is a no-no in candy making, but for our use, it keeps the peanuts from burning. As the temperature rises, the mix will get thicker, and the closer it gets to 300F, it will begin to caramelize and smell yummy.

Step 3: The Important Part

Pull the cookie sheet out of the oven now, and set it on duvets next to the candy mix.

Now comes the only hurried part of this Instructable - Adding the butter/baking soda, and pouring it out. As soon as the boiling mixture reaches 300F, remove it from the heat. Using a spatula, quickly fold the butter/baking soda mixture in, and mix quickly, about 3-5 revolutions. The baking soda will cause a reaction that makes the brittle foam up, making it lighter and easier to eat.

Quickly pour the brittle on the heated cookie sheet, allowing it to spread out naturally. If you must, use the spatula to even it out a bit. Just remember, the more you mess with it, the more bubbles will pop. Consequently, the brittle will be less "spongy" if you stir too much.

Step 4: Breaking It Apart

Let the brittle cool for about 10 minutes, and you can begin to break it apart at the edges. Make sure to eat a piece or two, you deserve it!